Paul Broussard's Reviews
The spark and creativity that made the original Gamecube title something of a cult classic is here somewhere, but it has been buried underneath an increasingly large pile of gameplay annoyances and mechanics that add options without depth.
The first episode of Song of Horror is a genuinely unnerving experience, but ultimately fails to really find its footing as a game.
Not showing up anybody.
For a trilogy that’s been ported so often, very little has been done to address the niggles that do exist, and that’s a shame.
I would be remiss in not recommending The Spectrum Retreat if you’re a fan of Portal-esque puzzle solving.
This is very much Devil May Cry 1, 2, and 3, with pretty much all the good and bad that came with the original titles.
If you don’t already like hack and slash titles, and the Darksiders series specifically, this third installment certainly won’t make you a fan.
Yes, the Payday magic is still here… sort of.
The best way I think I can describe The Bunker is that it is an exceptional proof of concept. There's immense potential here, and the first couple of hours or so are genuinely great horror, but the game doesn't have enough tricks up its sleeve to maintain momentum.
The combat, when it’s clicking, is genuinely fantastic for a more action-driven horror title. But much of what is built around that combat lets it down: the pacing and atmosphere are largely non-existent; the level design, UI, and checkpoint system are very player-unfriendly; and there just aren’t enough set pieces and gameplay diversions to prevent the combat from getting somewhat repetitive by the game’s end.
There are very few original ideas on display in Project_Hel, outside of the new meter management system, and too many poor decisions that undermine the core ideas of the original, so it fails to reach the highs of the base game.
Lost Judgment has, perhaps fittingly, somewhat lost itself. It’s focused so much on cleaning up the gameplay that it forgot what really gave Yakuza its appeal to begin with; the charm and soul of the writing, setting, and characters.
There’s certainly a lot that Returnal does right and, if nothing else, it is genuinely interesting to see an AAA take on roguelites.
While it won’t be the best hour of gameplay you experience this year, it’ll probably be one of the more memorable.
Burning Shores flickers between highs and lows constantly, and while there are still enough positives here for me to say it's "good," I come away from it feeling somewhat uncertain about the franchise.
It’s pretty evident this is the team’s first action title in a while - there are more than a few mistakes on display - but it’s hard not to applaud the ingenuity and sheer fun-factor.
Ragnarök’s fantastic narrative and enjoyable characters ensure that it isn’t getting out of here without a recommendation, but its gameplay shortcomings mean that it ultimately falls short of some of its loftier ambitions.
Citizen Sleeper is a very compelling experience, with an enticing story supported by some solid strategy gameplay and barebones but still competent RPG mechanics. If you’re open to a Disco Elysium-esque visual novel that’s a bit lighter in tone (despite the dystopian setting) and emphasizes resource management more, it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy this.
Deathloop is a good game that's just a little too afraid to fully take its hands off the wheel and let the player drive.
Iki Island is a solid and vastly improved product over the base game, featuring an excellent aesthetic, some solid content, and much-needed improvements from patches made to the original material.